Fan Letters: Readers reminisce about Sunderland’s storied past

Dear Roker Report,

Hi all, just a message in reply to Chris Floods memories of the most memorable time in our generation. You would have to be like me over 60 to be able to remember that great night couldn’t see over the shoulders of the adults, me and my mates got wised up and hung off the left hand side floodlight metal frame in roker end after being lifted up from grown ups cos we were getting squashed. Only 14 yr old at the time mind you we could only see 1/4 of the pitch from the 18 yrd box to goal in roker end as the bulk of goals were scored in the fulwell end still managed to see the vital one that sealed it (oh for the H bomb partnership now - that’s Halom and Hughes for the millenniums).

Remember we had to play the mighty city twice as in the previous rounds replays all the way till that night and the mighty Arsenal next. The football was amazing but my best memory was queuing for the tickets outside the main stand reet down to seaburn along roker baths road, hours we waited to get to the front worrying that there will be any left when you got to gate and not only that there was a voucher system in place amount and colour was vital you held on to them for dear life worried that you would lose them or be pinched off ya by the desperate and fairweather supporters who couldn’t be arsed to gan to league games and collect the golden pieces of paper which would almost guaranteed your pass to watch next round.

Oh happy days, Dave Watson was immense, that’s the result when the 2 vital elements come together - passion for the badge worn by the players and fans and give their all for the cause, them players were prepared to die out there than come away defeated, best time of my life even tho we were languishing bottom half of second division but no one cared. We even got beat off QPR 3-0 at home for our last game of season ha ha you can have the points with jam on we won the FA cup and in Europe get in there.

Jeff Angus

Ed’s Note [Tom]: Hi Jeff, Thanks for writing in! I love hearing people’s memories about their time supporting Sunderland. Football has changed a lot over the years, but Sunderland fans basically want the same type of team: hard working players determined to win, with quality sprinkled throughout the team. Cheers for the letter!

Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

Can’t give a story, one finger typing is hard work.

But two games spring to mind, I think it was voted game of the decade in the 1970s

Man Utd 3 Sunderland 2.

Pop Robson bearing down on goal one on one near the end. Relief, Pop never misses, a draw. History now. Game of the decade was 2 teams in the second division.

The unforgettable Sunderland 3. Man City 1. Roker Park on a cold night, under lights. Always magic under lights at Roker. Took them apart, started thinking we might win the cup this year, Halom and Hughes, sigh.

Slip in a third, the 2 - 2 at Maine Road that brought them back to Roker. I still can’t believe how the ref didn’t disallow the City equaliser for a foul on Monty.

Memories of an old man now living in Australia.

Kevin Ion

Ed’s Note [Tom]: Hi Kevin, thanks for the memories! I’d love to hear about the differences between supporting Sunderland back in the 70s versus now; what do you think the biggest change has been in modern football? Cheers, Tom.